As Long As You're Mine
by aserene
Summary: After placing Xena and Gabrielle in the ice cave, Ares, God of War is having a hard time accepting his Princess' death. He can still feel her alive and goes in search of her. Aware that her being alive might be bad, he's ready to give up everything for he


**Disclaimer: I don't under any circumstances own the characters of Xena Warrior Princess or Hercules. (I only wish I could own them). If the idea of Xena and Ares in love is upsetting do NOT read this story. I really have to say that I only see Xena and Gabrielle as good friends.**

**Author's Note: An alternative to the 25 years on ice, everything up to "Looking Death in the Eye" happened as is. This picks up about 3 seasons after Xena, Gabrielle, and Eve supposedly "die". It's not yet a whole year. This may contain some Gab-bashing, and most definitely will have Herc-bashing, but I'm sorry, I'll try to keep it light. Personal thoughts and flashbacks or in _italics,_ Conversations through the mind are in '', and dialogue is usually punctuation. Title Inspired by the song "As Long As You're Mine" From the Wicked Musical.**

**As Long As You're Mine**

_"It's over. It's over. Join your family. Tell them it's a package deal. They get me, too."_

He could still remember the way her body had just fallen. Dead. She was gone; the best thing that had ever happened in his millennia of existence, the only one he'd ever loved. _All because the family's paranoid, there should have been another way. _He hadn't been to Olympus since that day. He hadn't gone back to the ice cave either. He couldn't bear it, kissing her dead lips had driven it home. She wasn't coming back this time; she had cheated death because she'd wanted to live; now she had wanted to die.

He had thought about reviving her, but knew there'd be little point to it. Her daughter was gone, her best friend was gone, and she was happier wherever she was. He had asked Hades if he could see her, but Hades had told him she hadn't come, to which the other Gods had proceeded to blame him, but Aphrodite had come to his defense.

_"Do you really think Ares would be moping around and not causing wars, if she was alive!"_

He had been grateful to his sister; she came by every now and than. Mostly he tried to avoid her, she was Love, she was what he had lost. He'd assumed that the strange God had taken her, being the mother of his 'messenger' and all. Athena had told him explicitly what would happen should he try to mess with it. _Damn bitch, she could have just let me take Xena away. _But no, the 'honorable' Goddess had decided that a child's life was not worth anything. In the back of his head he knew that if it hadn't been Xena's child, he wouldn't have tried to stop the Gods.

He had handled her all wrong though he knew that now. He should have given his help, no strings attached, maybe then they could have figured something out that would have kept her alive. He had been angry with her that was why he hadn't been there when the cart went over. He started watching when he felt an intense amount of pain run through him, courtesy of their bond. When he saw her grab her sword, he knew he had to stop her, with the sword away from her he thought it had been enough. He could have stopped her next move, could have taken the poison from her, but at that moment, he had been to scared, to shocked at what she was doing. All he knew was that he was going to loose her, it was his greatest fear come to life.

After he'd placed her in the ice cave and sealed it, he had expected the emptiness where their bond had once been. That emptiness never came. She was still there, faint, but present. She was calm, at peace. He was sure that this would only last a few days, but nearly three seasons later he could still feel her, clear as when she had been alive. This was what bothered him. He had never thought she would consider suicide, she was a warrior she would die as such, she wouldn't have given up that easy.

What scared him was that he didn't know what she could have done. He couldn't very well ask anyone simply for the fact that if the bond meant there was a way she could come back, his family would make sure it didn't happen. So that was why he found himself gathering his courage to speak to the fates. He hadn't been there, was afraid that if he went the dark red thread that was always so closely intertwined with his, would be missing. He flashed into their weaving room they didn't budge. He ignored them for a moment and looked at his thread, he felt his breath escape him when he found the red thread still intertwined with his own.

"Ares, God of War you should be careful which threads you look at," Atropos warned.

"The Warrior Princess' thread has not been cut, why?" He demanded.

"Your bond is not yet broken," Lachesis replied.

"She is dead, I saw her die with my own eyes."

"Did you now?" Clotho inquired. The young one looked at him with eyes of someone much older.

"I held her dead body."

"You speak of her as a lover, not as a Warrior," Atropos stated. He looked away. He inspected his thread and than the red one once more. He found that it was also intertwined with a green thread and a much shorter one, a white one.

"These other threads," he began gesturing to them.

"They belong to a bard, and a daughter." Lachesis answered.

"They are also dead." Ares looked away from the loom. This made no sense to him, if their threads had not been cut, they were still alive, but if they were still alive, which was highly unlikely, how did they survive?

"The bard is the same as the Warrior Princess…" Clotho began.

"But the child, is freed from her Twilight Destiny to take her own path," Atropos finished.

"The child is alive?" He inquired. He hadn't found Eve's body, he assumed she had been burned in the wreckage, but it would be just like Xena, to hide her child somewhere else. If the child were alive, he would find her.

"We have already told you to much War God," Lachesis snapped.

"Your Warrior Princess has shattered the Prophecy and freed her daughter from a forced fate…"Atropos faded off.

"As we foretold only in the essence of death…" Lachesis continued.

"She understood." Clotho finished. Ares nodded slowly as if comprehending, which of course he didn't. _Only in the essence of Death, how can you be in the essence of Death without being dead?_ Ares flashed out. The Fates had all but said that Eve was alive, now if he could find the child, maybe he could find out her mother's secret. Because Eve had been a part of Xena he could connect to her, if he so chose, but he had never tried it before. Probably because he was sure the mother might kill him. He returned to his Fortress in the Macedonian mountains, and entered his bedroom. The Fortress was protected, no God could enter without his permission, the only one who could break that barrier was Zeus and since Zeus was gone, he had nothing to fear. The War God sealed his bedroom door and looked into his viewing mirror.

"Show me Eve," he commanded. There was a ripple, but no image. _Come on._ "Show me the daughter of Xena," at this the mirror rippled again but showed the past, it was Eve all right, but a Roman was holding her. _There is no way Xena would ever trust a Roman with her child, she would trust me before that…_his thoughts faded off as he considered them. _No, if she were afraid of what I could do, she would go to the last option, that would be the Romans_. Still it didn't answer his question. If a roman had Eve, he could have taken her anywhere, Rome was a big area, one baby would be hard to find. "Show me the Bringer of the Twilight," at this the image focused, he almost smiled till her recognized the area. It was the ice cave where Xena and Gabrielle were buried. _I thought Eve was the Bringer of Twilight, how is Xena involved, unless the mirror is being completely literal. Blasted thing_. He tried one last time, "Show me the Messenger." At this mirror focused again as well. Only this time it was a Villa, most definitely Roman and by the looks of it, a very wealthy Roman. The mirror than shifted views to a cradle that sat near a window, inside a child slept peacefully. _Gotcha._

Ares was not stupid, if this was Eve; she was going to be hunted again. However if what the Fates said were true, than Xena's death had broken the Prophecy. Course Gods were not exactly known for logic and the Goddess of Wisdom was acting like more of a fool each and every day. He decided to play it safe. He would visit the child and see if he could get a reading on her. He had held Eve before; he would know if it were she, he would also be able to sense a part of Xena in her. He carefully covered his path in the ether and went to the child's cradle. He remained in the ether watching her. She woke up with seconds of his arriving, as if sensing his presence, and starred. She started to cry softly. Ares did not want anyone coming in, if this was Eve, he didn't want to take a chance that some other God had already figured it out and would pin it on him. He made himself visible but still the child cried. Hesitantly he reached down and picked her up. She ceased almost immediately, and her eyes turned to stare at him.

"You've got some nice blue eyes, kid," he said softly. His bond with Xena was stronger for a moment, and he looked at the child again. She was trying to grasp his amulet and play with it, just as she had so many other nights before when he'd watch over them while Xena slept. If Xena had ever known he had held her daughter, she'd probably try to run him through. As he stared at her there was no mistaking it. This child was definitely connected to Xena, "So Eve, remember me?"

A gurgle was his response.

"Yea, I'm happy to see you too. Well listen up here, your Mommy obviously wasn't thinking straight trusting you in the care of a roman…" At this the child seemed to get more agitated and he wondered for a moment if she understood. The God of War may have fathered lots of children, but he really didn't have any baby experience, but from this child he had learned so much. He also had learned when she wanted her mother; the face she was giving suggested that was all she wanted. "Yea you miss her, I do too. Don't worry Eve, clearly your mother had meant to come back for you, all we have to do is figure out what went wrong, right?" At the child's silence, he laughed. "Good, I'm glad you agree. Look at me I'm talking to a baby, oh if you're mother could see me now."

To this the little baby laughed.

"Yea, she probably would run me through. Well I think I better put you back." He placed the child back into her cradle and stepped into the ether, he didn't leave right away, he heard footsteps. A man entered the room and came over to the child; Ares could barley suppress his surprise. This man was one of the leading generals of the Roman Army; _somehow I don't think this is what Xena had in mind for the future of her child._

The man was known for his ruthlessness, he had raised one son who was quickly excelling through the ranks; no doubt he had plans for this baby too. Ares tapped into his mind and had a look at his thoughts; to his surprise he found no emotions regarding the baby girl, but definite plans. _A Conqueror for Rome, a Roman Empress, not bad, not exactly what Xena had in mind, but hey like mother, like daughter. _At this his thoughts immediately halted. _No, this is exactly why Xena wouldn't trust you,_ he told himself. He glanced back to the cradle and watched the man leave, the child was screaming but the General had refused to touch her. As soon as the door was closed the child quieted her wails. Ares again became visible.

"Alright Eve, change of plans, as I said before your mother clearly wasn't thinking when she worked out the details of her plan, so I think I'll rectify it. After all, how much trouble can you get into in the care of a Love Goddess?" With that Ares scooped up the child and returned to his Fortress. Upon arrival Ares placed the child on the huge bed with silk sheets. Seeing she could crawl already he boxed her in with some pillows so she couldn't go to far. "There that ought hold you, now you stay right there well I go get Auntie Dite." He wished himself into the Love Goddess' presence and so found himself swirling in pink.

"Bro!" Came the delighted squeal of his sister. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged. Slightly surprised he returned the hug and than pulled back.

"Uh Dite, I…I need a favor," he said. He wasn't quite sure how to approach this. Dite would be loyal to him, she hadn't wanted to kill them, she had refused to participate, but he also knew didn't want to get hurt.

"Sure Bro! And might I say I'm glad to see you again up and about, so any wars?" Dite inquired trying to see just how back to normal her brother was. He glared at her.

"Dite, give it up." Obviously he was still grieving, so she tried another route.

"Look Bro, I get it, really, heart break, I see it all the time and it will fade some you just have to…"

"Aphrodite I am not here to talk about Xena," Ares stated calmly trying to regain control of his emotions. "I need a favor, could you bring the scroll that has the exact wording of the Twilight Prophecy. I want, I…just need it for something," he said quietly. Aphrodite raised a delicate eyebrow at him. Ares was not a reader, but clearly this was important, she didn't understand why he couldn't get them himself but it sounded like there was something else, something he wasn't telling her, at least right now.

"I actually have it with me, here, I've been reading it. You weren't the only one who lost something that day," she answered coming out of her normal ditzy mode. She got up and gathered the scroll holding it out to him. Ares tried to keep his mind blank and knew what he was about to do was really going to piss his sister off. He grabbed her wrist and forcefully took her through the ether, into the throne room of his Fortress. "ARES!" She shrieked as soon as they'd arrived.

"Shh…you're going to wake her up." He said quietly. "Please Dite, before you do anything, you just need to see this." He took his sister's hand and led her into his bedroom resealing it after closing the door. He gestured to the bed, and the Love Goddess walked over slowly, ready for anything, well anything but what she saw. There was a baby sitting in the middle of his bed. As Ares came closer the child immediately came awake and that's when Aphrodite saw them. The big blue orbs shinning back, just like a certain Warrior Princess.

"Ares? What have you done?" She gasped.

"I didn't do it, pick her up." He said. The Love Goddess did so. Now through her power's she could find a love match, like a soul mate, she knew that Xena's was Ares, but this child's mate was not Ares.

"It's not Xena."

"Of course its not Xena, its Eve!"

"Eve is alive? That means he wasn't lying!" The Goddess exclaimed. She grinned down at the baby. "Boy is your mommy smart little lady!"

"Smart? Her mother is dead, Aphrodite. I found her in the care of a Roman General, if that was Xena's backup plan, I'd really like to know what her original one was!"

"Well that's the thing Ar, Xena's alive. See Joxer…"

"Joxer? What does that bumbling fool have to do with it?" Ares demanded his temper rising. The baby started to cry and so he immediately calmed down. "What about Joxer?"

"Joxer came and asked where you'd taken Xena and Gabrielle, I said that I didn't know you had them. He than just nodded and left, mumbling something about Xena obviously not factoring in Love," Dite said, trying to remember all the details.

"She had a plan? Dite you need to get Joxer here, I don't care how you do it, but I need to know why she's dead. Her plans never backfire."

"Is that why you wanted the scroll?"

"Well yes, the Fates said something about the Twilight being shattered because the essence of Death or something."

"The essence of Death? Well you know Xena had captured Death, maybe she took something from her," Aphrodite suggested. Ares looked at his sister cradling his love's child thoughtfully. _Essence of Death, where have I heard that before?_

"Did Gabrielle or Joxer say anything like that to you?"

"Well Gabrielle, I mean the last time I saw her was before I went into hiding, she told me this story about Death crying over loss and the tears themselves were like…"Dite faded off looking at her brother. "Ares, how did Xena, I mean I wasn't watching so I don't, I mean if it's not too…" She faded off again.

"Poison." He replied bitterly.

"THAT'S IT!" She exclaimed. At her brother's curious look she continued. "Gabby's story said that the tears of death were like poison, but a special poison, one that would cause sleep and than awaken you with peace. I think I still have the scroll, she gave it to me, said we might not see each other again." Dite finished quietly. And than it clicked. Ares replayed Xena's last words. _Join your family_, she'd said. _Return to Olympus with your family, that's why her thoughts were guarded more than usual, she knew I was going to stop her from using the sword. Oh when I get my hands on her…_he faded off, first he'd have to get them out of that ice cave.

"Dite, you can't tell anyone, I can go and get Xena and Gabrielle and bring them here, and if they wake up, I'll take them somewhere the Gods can't get reach them."

"And if they don't wake up?"

"I'll make sure Eve has the life her mother wanted for her. I could put her in one of my temples as a priestess or she could grow up here, no training her, just telling her lots of stories about her mother." Aphrodite placed the child back on the bed and hugged her brother.

"Ar, I think you should read the scroll, there's something very interesting in it. I'll go see Joxer, I try and drop by every now and than, and I'll ask him for a scroll about Xena, he might have some of Gabby's." She flashed out in a pink pale light and Ares looked down to the child on the bed.

"So, you wanna hear a story Eve, you're featured in it." He unrolled the scroll with the Prophecy and began to read. He found the part about the Essence of Death. As he continued past that, _something Athena clearly hasn't_, he thought, Ares found that only the Essence of Death would destroy the powers. However should the Gods again threaten the child, than the Bringer of Twilight would be granted powers to protect her. The child, seemed to be a messenger, simply someone to spread the view and preach, it was the mother they'd have to worry about it. _Clearly this is why Xena was chosen,_ Ares mused_, who else would go up against the Gods_. The last piece he found quite interesting, according the scroll, if the Prophecy was shattered by the essence of death, the Twilight would be no more, and the child would be protected and the Gods would have nothing to fear. He knew he would have to make the rest of Olympus understand, but if he could get the Fates on his side, he knew most would turn against Athena, the trick, he wouldn't have be able to present the information, it would take a neutral God or Goddess, one who hadn't had dealings with Xena, and was not connected to either Ares or Athena, and that left one person, Demeter. With one last glance at the sleeping baby he willed himself to the goddess of the Grain's side.

"Ares?" A shocked voice called.

"Aunt Demeter, I was looking for you." The God of War replied trying to sound sweet.

"Me? And what pray tell would the War God, want from me?" The Goddess inquired. Ever since Ares had sided with Hades in the whole Persephone battle Demeter had always been a little miffed by him,_ which makes her that much better of a person to bring this up_.

"I was wondering if you could help me understand a scroll, Athena and I aren't exactly speaking right now."

"When are you two ever speaking?"

"A valid point, but I do draw the lines at my petty siblings trying to kill babies to save their own tails," Ares remarked. At this Demeter couldn't help but smile at the bitterness in his voice. She had wanted to kill the child as well, but in the end decided she had more important things to do. However, when Ares had jumped to the child's defense the Goddess of the Grain was more than a little surprised, even after she found out the mother in question was his own Chosen. The Goddess had once considered offering Persephone to the War God as a wife, but found that no matter how many times she broached the subject he would always try to get out of it and decline gently. He had praised her daughter's beauty but it hadn't been enough, and it was than she'd discovered what everyone else seemed to miss, the War God was in love.

"Yes I suppose things were not handle delicately. Whether you believe it or not I am sorry for your loss," she answered. The War God tried to hide his surprise with indifference but the Goddess caught it. "The scroll?" He handed it to her. She read it before refocusing her attention. "It discusses the Twilight. This prophecy is shattered. It's of no use."

"Oh I couldn't agree more, I was just wondering what the end of it meant the part where it mentions the Essence of Death and the protection of the Messenger and her mother," Ares pointed out.

"It basically means that should the messenger live or the mother for any reason, the child is protected unless a God threatens the child's life, in which case the mother will be turned into a protector."

"Its my understanding the essence of death is a poison that causes you to awaken later. To bad Xena didn't know about that one, maybe this whole thing could have been avoided." He sighed wistfully. In all honesty he was using the grief he had built up for the last three seasons to fake this one moment.

"You bring up a valid point, I shall present this to the Council on Olympus, if you don't mind I will do so without telling them where I got the scroll, as one of the First Born your dear sister would never let me live this one down," Demeter said slightly embarrassed, if a Goddess could be embarrassed. He heard his name being called and knew he had to leave soon.

"Hey if this snuffs out Athena's joy at killing a baby and my Warrior Princess, you can do whatever you want." He answered almost happily. Demeter nodded and vanished, Ares doing the same. He reappeared in his throne room to hear Aphrodite calling from one of her Temples, she was asking for permission to enter. He responded and moments later his sister and a highly confused Joxer were standing in front of him.

"Hey Bro, did you get it?" By it, Ares knew she meant them, but he shook his head. "Bro! Look I know you need to deal, but just go, I'll fill Joxer in on basics and get him a room and stuff, and than I'll check on the other stuff."

"That won't be necessary Dite, I'll check on that other stuff." He replied vaguely. Joxer was trying so hard not to be angry with the God, that he nodded to Dite's requests. Ares watched the two go down a corridor before returning to his room. He slightly panicked when he didn't see Eve. _Oh great, you are like your mother, you never stay put!_ He looked around the room and than he heard the laughter. The imp was sitting on the floor next to a chest that coincidentally contained some of Xena's things from her warlord days. _Or maybe it's not a coincidence, maybe she felt connected to that, because it belonged to her mother?_ Either way the War God picked up the baby and sat her on the chest kneeling so he was eye level. "Alright Eve, we're going to go on a little trip to get mommy back, but you need to be bundled up. Your mother will kill me if you get sick. I just need one thing before we go." He picked up the baby and she was wrapped in furs with a thought, and than they vanished. They reappeared outside the ice cave and Ares glanced around to make sure no one had followed.

He removed the seal with one hand, supporting the child in the other. Eve seemed to be thoroughly entranced with his magic and glanced from his shoulder into the cave as they entered. He stopped a moment, his heart forgetting to beat. There she was exactly has he'd left her. He went to the blonde first. As irritating as she was and as much as he disliked her, Xena did like her, and she was a part of her life and Eve's. Ares knew he couldn't leave her here, just like he couldn't leave her on the beach as well. He pushed open the blonde's coffin and with a thought transferred her into his Fortress, mentally calling Dite, who he knew would take good care of her. He than braced himself, half expecting her to jump at him, and faced her coffin. He had handled her wrong and this time, this time he wouldn't screw up. He felt their bond increase as he pushed open the top. He held Eve up to see her mother and the child seemed pacified by this.

"Yea Eve, its Mommy, she's looking a little tired right now, but don't you worry, she'll be awake soon." He reached down holding the child in one arm and using his other to again sweep her hair out of her eyes. He leaned down and kissed her dead lips for hopefully the last time, just as he'd done while burying her. "You're going to be with your daughter soon. I wish you would have told me your little plan, looks like I really do manage to screw things up, but at least it wasn't like twenty five years or something, it was just a few seasons, you'll be able to watch her grow up. Maybe you'll find a nice guy to be a father to her, but I want you to know, that I do love you Xena." He took her lifeless arm and the three of them went through the ether back into his Fortress' bedroom. Xena was lying on his bed in the same position she had been in the coffin. With a thought he changed her clothes into something more comfortable and covered her with fur blankets. He than placed Eve down next to her and than he lay down so that Eve was between them. _Now if every day could be like this, _and the God of War settled into a sleep that even his sister peaking in didn't wake him from.

The Love Goddess, almost burst with joy at that power rush. She could feel Ares' relief and love wash over her, Eve had a fainter far less romantic, but just as strong love for the two adults on either side of her, and than with some surprise Aphrodite found that Xena had made her way back onto the Love channel. Whether the Warrior Babe was awake or even coherent, her heart had reacted to Ares' presence and to her daughter's. Slowly backing out she saw Eve move slightly, snuggling in the embrace between the two adults.

As Ares awoke in the light of the Dawn he felt the two heartbeats close to him. He looked down to find his arm had wrapped itself around Xena loosely making a perfect area for Eve to snuggle into. Eve was beginning to wake up to and tried to sit up looking at him. To his great surprise Xena's breathing had become normal, but she was still out of it. _The poison is wearing off,_ he thought. He reached his arm up and ran it through her hair. If he could do this for the rest of eternity, he knew it would never be enough. His thoughts were broke by Eve's soft cry. She wanted something and so the God decided it was time to get up. He picked Eve up with him and flashed in some goat's milk and tried to give it to her. She seemed to like it. He knew he'd have to find her some solid food soon. She was getting to big to just survive on milk, but that was not his department of expertise, hopefully Aphrodite would have an idea. Mentally calling out to his sister, he waited patiently for an answer. He wasn't leaving Xena's side until he was sure she was all right. Aphrodite flashed in moments later.

"Hey Bro," She greeted cheerfully, but quietly. She saw him holding the baby and reached out for her. Ares handed her off. "Hi Evie! You must be so happy to have Mommy back!"

"Yea she's thrilled," Ares sighed. "Look Dite, I gave her some milk, but is that enough? I mean is she old enough to eat other stuff?"

"Milk's good for breakfast, you could try cut up apple slices, mortal apples, for lunch."

"Mortal apples; got it." Ares replied with a smile. "How's the irritating blonde?"

"Hasn't budged but her breathing is back to normal, Joxer is keeping an eye on her. Now there is a match made in Elyisa!"

"Oh? Yea, they're perfect for each other," He grumbled. Dite just smiled and laughed lightly.

"Well you two may not be the perfect couple, but you are meant for each other. She's fiercely loyal and determined, self-motivated, self-loathed," she finished quietly. "You two balance out each other."

"Yea, I bring out her darkness. And she is not self-loathed," Ares argued.

"No, you bring out a part of her, she has had hidden, her heart. She brings out your good side." Dite paused before addressing a topic she knew her brother hadn't dealt with. "She is self-loathed. She may try to blame her past on you, and in truth you deserve part of the blame, but deep down she knows she was responsible for what she did, and she hates herself for it. Just like I know you hate yourself for it. And to top it off, you have tried to take it away, even if it is subconsciously, I know you think about the past. You two were good back than on the relationship point, but you two were not human. It always surprised me to see you two together because she was so carefree. And you, you were good."

"Dite, you're really starting to push my buttons." Ares at this point had turned away from his sister. Her words hurt far more than he was willing to believe. He would never believe that Xena was self-loathed, but he knew it was true, just as he hated himself. She had used him as a scapegoat, but he knew down inside her, she didn't blame him that much, that's what, hurt the most. He had trained her, given her ideas, _sure when she was with Alti she was really scary, darker even than me, but it was my fault. I told her that the world was meant to have peace through force. In reality her plans haven't changed, she's just carrying them out differently and no longer wants to rule._ Aphrodite took his silence as a warning and ended the conversation.

"Well Bro, I think I'll take Eve to see Auntie Gabrielle, would that be okay or do you…"

"I'm not leaving her. You can take Eve, just make sure she doesn't leave the Fortress," Ares ordered. Dite nodded and left the room with the quiet child. Ares watched her leave and than settled down in a chair next to the bed. Xena had not moved from the position he'd put her in. The poison would most likely awaken her mind first, leaving her body paralyzed for a bit, before fully running out of her system.

Aphrodite held the child close to her. She had changed from her usual pink underclothes to a pale pink dress. It was just more suitable for a child's eyes. Dite looked down to the bundle in her arms. It had been awhile since she'd held a little one, but still the Love Goddess could not see how one small child was worth the fuss. This child was the embodiment of peace and love, and it shouldn't take a Love Goddess to see it. If the God of War could love a child of peace, why couldn't the other Gods let her be? Dite paused outside the door and knocked slightly, usually she would just go in, but she had left Joxer there for a purpose, explain his feelings to Gabrielle. What Aphrodite hadn't mentioned was that Gabrielle could most certainly hear what was going on. _She probably took less of the poison; she didn't have to make a War God believe she was dead. _ Joxer's voice called for her to enter.

"Any change?" she inquired.

"No, I…is that, oh by the Gods is that…" Joxer just faded off. He had turned and all thoughts of Gabrielle's condition vanished when he saw the bundle in the Goddess' arms.

"Yea it is, but shh, she just went to sleep, and we'll have a very angry War God if we wake her up. Joxer, has Gabrielle moved any?" Joxer shook his head no, but in that moment something caught his attention. Someone was watching him. Slowly he turned around and saw a pair of green eyes starring up at him from the bed.

"Gab…Gabrielle?"  
"Hey little bard," Dite greeted quietly. Gabrielle's eye shifted. "Okay so we're going to play a little game, if the answer is yes blink, if not don't do anything. Okay?" The Bard blinked. "Did Xena entrust Eve to a Roman?"

A blink.

"Did Xena trust Eve to a Roman General?" There was no reaction.

"Xena gave Eve to Octavius, Caesar's nephew to watch while she pulled off everything." Joxer explained, knowing that much of the plan. Aphrodite nodded.

"Okay Gabby, last question, its very important that you think about this answer. Does Xena love Ares?" Joxer nearly choked when he heard the question and waited with a held breath for the answer. There was no movement and than a light filled Gabrielle's eyes and she blinked. "Okay, good to know!" Dite exclaimed. She held out Eve. "Here's your reward."

The Love Goddess placed Eve on the bed next to the bard; the child crawled closer and snuggled in, recognizing her Aunt. _Okay tray cool, now to make sure Xena hears a confession. This would be so much easier if they both weren't so stubborn._ Aphrodite backed out of the room cautiously leaving Joxer and Gabrielle. Joxer would keep on eye while Dite took care of the couple of the century. She flashed into Ares' bedchamber and found him seated next to his princess almost asleep. She looked down at the Warrior Princess; there was no change. Unlike the Bard, Xena must have had more poison and thus it would take longer for the effects to wear off. Plus, if Xena could sense Ares, she was probably incredibly tense and that just wouldn't do.

"Ares?" The War God looked up to see his sister standing nearby.

"Where's…"

"She's fine, Gabrielle and Joxer have her."

"That hardly constitutes as fine, Dite."

"Shh…you don't want to wake the Warrior babe. Now listen here, you need to make sure she's relaxed. Talk to her, give her something to follow out of this nightmare," she suggested.

"What do I say?"

"Whatever you want." And with that the Love Goddess returned to her little charge in a flash of light. She seated herself in Gabrielle's room and watched the three contently. She than opened a portal into the mortal realm to carry out her duties and another portal to keep on eye on her brother. He was sitting closer, and she used her magic to hear what he was saying.

"This is probably Dite's worst idea yet. I mean you can't hear me, course that means you can't hate me either." He paused. "I know I screwed up big time, I shouldn't have asked you for a child, I shouldn't have backed you into a corner like I did, but damnit Xena you are a frustrating woman! I'll admit I was jealous, I always wanted a child with you Xena, but I could love Eve as if she were my own, you just won't give me the chance. I don't understand where this all got so confusing. We were happy together once, that's when my life began. I would give up eternity if it meant a decade with you, but you won't trust me, and I don't blame you. My methods did not exactly scream love, but I do love you." He finished, he laughed and added "I would have to love you, I haven't killed the irritating blonde yet."

What Aphrodite noticed that he didn't was than Xena's lips had formed into a smile. She could hear all right, and _my guess is she's trying not to let him know, she must think it's a dream; she clearly doesn't believe this is real. Well will just have to make it real._

"Joxer, I'm going to be taking her back to her mother," Dite said quietly. "Do you understand Gabby?" The blonde blinked. Dite smiled and picked up the slumbering infant. "Don't you worry about Xena, he's taking good care of her. He won't let anything happen."

The Love Goddess than flashed out. She appeared just outside her brother's bedroom doors and knocked. Quickly she opened a portal to see him get off the bed, that was what she had wanted to bring him out of Xena's range and than she would open her eyes. True to form as the God left her side to get the door, Xena's blue orbs flashed open and for a moment terror swept over her. She closed the portal just as Ares opened the door. "Here, she should be with her mother."

Ares nodded and took the baby carefully. The child awoke and started to play with the amulet around his neck again. It seemed to be her favorite toy and thankfully it was large enough that if she tried to eat it, she couldn't get hurt. Ares brought Eve back to the bed and for a moment he thought Xena had woken up, he had felt a heartbeat increase, but than it ebbed.

"Here you go Eve," he said laying her down next to Xena's form. "Right where you belong." He felt something around him as if a barrier was being let down and he looked towards Xena's form. "Well you're going to kill me for this anyway, I suppose one more reason wouldn't hurt." He said aloud. He began to look into her mind when he suddenly heard a faint voice. He probed around again and it became louder.

'Get out of my head bastard.' Oh yea that was his princess.

'Xena?'

'Well I certainly hope so, just how many woman can you have conversations like this with?' her voice raged with bitterness. He suppressed a smile; _at least her mind is awake_.

'Uh…two? You and Aphrodite.' He heard a faint gasp and tried to read her inner thoughts. 'What wasn't a dream?'

'I told you to stay out of my head!' At this he laughed. 'Eve says you took her from a mean man.'

'Eve? You can understand your daughter?'

'I have many skills.'

'Yea not going to debate that one. Eve was in the care of a Roman General when I found her, I didn't think you had that in mind, especially considering your rant about a peaceful future,' he answered bitterly.

'A Roman General? I left her with Caesar's nephew! That damn bastard. I should have known.'

'I'm sorry back up, I'm having a very hard time believing that you trusted your daughter to anyone related to Caesar, let alone a Roman in general. You hate the Romans, remember?'

'Shut up. I didn't exactly have a choice, your family wasn't leaving me very many options.'

'Killing yourself shouldn't have been an option.' He said after a long silence. He felt her barrier come down shutting off their link. He sighed and looked down at her to his surprise she had opened her eyes and was starring at him. Eve had crawled into his lap and he been absently allowing her to play with his pendant. When he looked again she had closed her eyes, something like sad sigh fell from her lips. Slowly and carefully he felt her barriers come down again.

'Does your family know?'

'No, as far as they're concerned your dead, but even if they should find out, you're going to be just fine. They won't harm you.'

'Why?'

'Because I won't let them.'

'Ares, I don't want your help,' this was a road she didn't want to travel, even if she was still under the effect of the poison.

'No strings, I promise. You might not even need any help at all though. Demeter found some interesting evidence that suggests we brought this Prophecy down on ourselves. As long as the Gods don't harm your child, nothing will happen.'

'That's what I kept saying.'

'I know, and I believe you, but trust me when I say this time they'll think twice. It's one thing to consider a baby a threat, but when a certain Warrior Princess with absolutely no fear of the Gods suddenly develops God threatening powers, that's frightening.'

'You're not making sense. I can't do…I' her thoughts stopped. He tried to probe lightly. She was replaying the day in Amphipolis in her mind. 'I drew blood.' She said suddenly.

'Hm?'

'Don't play innocent; I know you're reading my thoughts. That day at Amphipolis, I drew your blood. You weren't mortal.' He thought back to what she was saying, he'd always assumed Athena had cut him with some Godly weapon, but no, she was right, it had been her.

'Well that's good to know, I don't think I'll be fighting you anytime soon.'

'Wimp.' He looked down at her and than from Eve back to her. The power he'd felt emanating from the child before this whole mess was gone.

'On second thought, it might a good way to test the theory. I think it's gone. The Prophecy has been shattered, it wasn't Eve we had to worry about, it was you.' He watched her; her face was a clean slate. Whether that was the poison affecting her muscles or her intentionally doing it, he couldn't tell.

'Where's Gabrielle?'

'With Aphrodite.'

'Call her.'

'Gabrielle?'

'No, your sister. Please.' He looked at her with curiosity. He was almost certain she didn't have a pleading tone of voice, but there it was, in full force. He called to his sister mentally and she popped in.

"You called?" Aphrodite greeted. She looked at the threesome, and than it clicked. Xena's barriers were down. She was using her link to connect to Ares. _Well that's a step in the right direction_.

"Xena wanted me to. I don't know what she wants," Ares answered. He looked towards the Warrior Princess who tried to smile but found it difficult. Aphrodite shooed her brother off the chair and went to sit down next to Xena.

"Its alright, Ares. I'll talk to her, but you're going to have to leave. Your bond with her will interfere," Aphrodite said. Ares looked at his sister like she was a hydra. There was no way he was leaving his princess.

'Ares, just go. I'll be fine. Take,' her thoughts paused and he waited for her to finish. 'Take Eve with you.' Surprised, he gently picked up the child and nodded his head leaving the room. Xena sighed again. His presence was doing a number on her senses. She couldn't ask him how he knew; he wasn't supposed to find out. Gabrielle had told Aphrodite a story, a story that might help bring him peace, but he wasn't supposed to find them. He wasn't supposed to, because she was afraid she wanted him too.

Aphrodite looked down at the stoic Warrior Princess. She looked very vulnerable lying there. The Love Goddess reached for a hand and held it; Xena shifted her eyes at the disturbance. _Okay here goes nothing,_ Aphrodite took a deep breath and than tried to enter Xena's mind.

'Xena? Xena its Aphrodite, would you please let down your barriers, I promise he can't read your thoughts this far away.' Slowly, Aphrodite entered Xena's mind, and than her dreamscape. Surprised that Xena had been so trusting she turned around to find herself in a garden, Xena was sitting on a marble bench.

"Hello Aphrodite."

"Warrior Babe, I gotta say I'm so happy to see you!" The Goddess squealed. Xena managed a smile at the ditzy being.

"I thought it might be easier, he can't…I mean its not like…" she faded off.

"He can enter your dreamscape, not while I'm here. His powers may be the opposite of mine, but right now I'm stronger. He hasn't exactly been fueling his power," Dite replied assuring the Warrior Princess. Xena raised an eyebrow.

"Fueling his power?"

"Yea, he hasn't started any wars since, well you now since that day." Dite said quietly.

"He hasn't?" At this the Warrior Princess was more than surprised. Aphrodite stared at her friend a moment. She had no clue the depth to which the War God loved her, and it was high time she figured it out.

"Xena I want you to watch something," Aphrodite said. Xena looked into the portal Aphrodite had created and watched as it focused on the image. Xena found herself looking into an ice cave, she watched silently as she saw Ares come in with her dead body, behind her she saw Gabrielle already buried. She watched him lay her to rest, and than she heard him.

_"You're with her now. I handled you-- all wrong. I know that. She knew what you needed-- unconditional-- and unselfish love-- and I couldn't give that to you. But I appreciated you in ways she never could-- your rage-- your violence-- your beauty. When you sacrificed yourself for others, you were hers-- but when you kicked ass-- you were mine. I love you, Xena."_

Aphrodite heard Xena's gasp, but she did not stop there. Slowly the image shifted to a more recent one. Again Xena saw herself in the ice cave, but she was being uncovered and Ares was standing over her with Eve in one arm.

"_You're going to be with your daughter soon. I wish you would have told me your little plan, looks like I really do manage to screw things up, but at least it wasn't like twenty five years or something, it was just a few seasons, you'll be able to watch her grow up. Maybe you'll find a nice guy to be a father to her, but I want you to know, that I do love you Xena."_

Aphrodite closed the portal and sat down next to Xena on the bench. The two sat in silence and listened to the harmony beyond them.

"Aphrodite, I knew he would come, I didn't think…I mean"

"I know. You know when Gabrielle told me that story about the Tears of Death she was trying to warn me. You wanted me to make sure he stayed on Olympus, but tell me Xena, how is that fair to him?" Xena looked for a moment, surprised at the Love Goddess' intuition and intelligence. Dite caught her look and laughed. "I am Love, Xena, the ditzy appearance just makes it easier to do things."

"I, you're right. I didn't realize how much he was going to do. I always hoped, especially all those years ago when we were together, before I turned. And than he became such a bastard, that I…"

"Well he was a little misguided," Dite agreed. "But all he wanted was you back, and than he even gave him the idea of the Warrior Queen, he just wanted you, hate to break it to you Sweet Pea, but he fell in love with the real you, not the Destroyer of Nations you."

"And you know this…"

"Because I am Love."

"Of course. And he's War," she concluded. Dite shook her head.

"You know that's not true, and you know I'm a lot more than Love, I have a mean streak to, you've seen it." Xena smirked at that. She'd remembered a time before she turned, one of Xena's second in command had fallen in love with a village girl, with a helping hand from the Love Goddess. He was to resign his commission when Ares found out. He convinced his nephew Cupid to hit him with a Lead Arrow that erases the feelings of love. In return, moments before a key move in battle, Aphrodite had struck the entire army with a love spell. Xena had found it amusing, and told Ares it was what he got for messing around with other God's realms. He had never underestimated Aphrodite again.

"I remember," she answered after the pause. "How did he know? I built up the barriers between us, I tried to hurt him so he wouldn't figure it out and…"

"Oh yea, I know all about that. That little stunt with the baby doll caused a war in Persia. The Persian Parthenon is still pissed about it. He was really hurt by that, more so because he knew you were lying and that he'd forced you to do that," Aphrodite lamented. "He figured out that you must have had something else planned when he went to see the Fates. See Athena assumed than you were taken by that other God that had taken you the last time, Ares wasn't so sure. He told me he could still feel you, as if you were alive. He thought maybe he was picking up on Eve and went to the Fates. They more or less told him she was and he went to find her. He wasn't going to do anything, but when he found out she was in a Roman General's house…"

"He told me that," Xena interrupted. "He's angry about it."

"Yea, but more so at himself, because of his stupidity he forced you to make an alliance with your greatest enemy. He doesn't know what to do to make it up, but he did know that Eve being raised in a War environment was not a good idea; I think that's why he called me. Eve has a lot of love and peace within her, but because she is a mix between you and Callisto her views could easily be twisted to a peace through force motto."

"That's true enough," Xena replied with a laugh. She and Callisto had about the same body count but the end of the psycho Goddess rein. Yet she had forgiven Callisto and Callisto her, now she had to forgive herself.

"Anyway, I asked Ares how you died, I didn't know, and I'm sorry but I couldn't watch. So I went into hiding for a bit. He said poison and I remembered the end of Gabrielle's story. I told him and I got Joxer to explain anything I may have left out. Ares went to get you two, and brought you here."

"And where is here?"

"Your in the Castle of War, his Fortress in the Macedonian mountains. No God can enter without permission, the barriers are impenetrable and you can't see inside using a portal. He figured it was a nice safe place, till he could find somewhere safer. I think he's going to try and get you out of Greece. Unless Athena repeals her order."

"Why is he doing this?"

"Because he loves you." Xena closed her eyes trying to repel the tears. She didn't know she could cry in her dreams, she never had before. She thought back to what Aphrodite had shown her. _Maybe you'll find a nice guy to be a father to her_, he had said. As if that was going to happen. There was only one person she would ever consider as father for Eve, because he was the only one who could understand her, all of her.

"Dite, I…" The Love Goddess waited patiently as the Warrior Princess collected her thoughts. "I think I still love him," she whispered.

"I know." Aphrodite felt herself being called, and so she waved goodbye to Xena and came out of the dreamscape, she opened her eyes. Xena's were still closed, if her heartbeat was any indication she was sleeping. "One day Xena." The Love Goddess got up from the chair and went to the door, slowly opening it. Ares was coming towards it.

"I've been calling for you, Athena's repealed the order; Eve, Xena, and Gabrielle have all been pardoned. Celesta just revealed that Eve has been alive, and that she had thought Xena and Gabrielle might be as well. Artemis is looking for you to ask if you've seen them," Ares explained. He paused a moment as if listening to something.

"Ar, I'll take care of the family. Don't worry I won't tell them where they are, course if they have any brains at all they might figure it out so just tighten up the barriers, I'll call when I want to come back." Ares nodded quickly still trying to listen to whatever it was only he could hear. "Go to her Ares," his sister ordered and he was gone. Before the Love Goddess left she went to check on her little charge. She found Eve asleep on Gabrielle's stomach, Joxer keeping watch. _Now for the family_, she thought and flashed to Olympus. The Love Goddess found herself with company shortly upon arriving in her palace. A swirl of leaves, announced the presence of the Huntress.

"Aphrodite, I have been looking for you."

"I've been busy, I do have duties too, you know," Aphrodite replied coolly. She had once liked Artemis but the second she sided with Athena all respect was gone.

"The order for death regarding your blonde bard friend has been repealed. She shall live a normal life, with no more interference from us."

"Good. If that's all?"

"I was hoping you could tell me where she was, she has rejected me and the other Amazons have turned on me as well," Artemis said sullenly.

"You should have considered that before you tried to harm an Amazon Princess. Eve was given Gabrielle's right of caste. The Amazons should feel betrayed."

"I am not proud of what I did, Aphrodite." The Goddess shouted.

"Good, than you will live with your guilt. I am under no obligation to tell you or any of the other Gods anything about them. They are pardoned, but I cannot so easily forgive those who wanted a child dead to save us," Aphrodite announced. Another flash and Athena soon appeared.

"Why is that Aphrodite? I don't understand why you are going soft over a mortal. I think you have been spending to much time around Ares!"

"Athena, if you for one second thought about it, you would understand. This was not just any mortal! This was THE mortal! The only one who could ever free the heart of the God of War, and you wanted caused her death! She was a good person, she respected you more than any of the other Gods, and you have final shown your true colors. You, Goddess of Wisdom chose to harm an infant, a child who had no powers. If you had taken the time instead of panicking you would have found that it was a self-fulfilling Prophecy! Now if you'll excuse me, I do have work to do!" And with that the angry Love Goddess flashed out. Athena and Artemis starred in shock at the claws that had come from their usually compliant and ditzy sister.

"You know if she goes back to Ares it means he knows where they are," Athena responded after a silence.

"It's over Athena, if they are with Ares, I'm not about to take on a War God and the Warrior Princess again, especially if there's an angry Love Goddess in the mix too. Besides you remember how it was before Xena changed sides, the two of them were good for each other. Maybe now we can have the kinder, gentler God of War and Warrior Princess. Should Eve become a Messenger of Peace while, I'd say the jokes on them," Artemis concluded, she than left Athena following closely behind.

Once Aphrodite had left his side, Ares had immediately flashed to the Warrior Princess. While he'd been speaking with his sister, he thought he had heard her voice. It had become more persistent and he wasn't sure if she was calling him or trying to connect through their link. When he appeared inside the room with Eve tightly encased in his arms, Xena's eyes flew open. She could still feel his presence and it had just doubled in intensity suggesting he was close by. He came into her view and thought he almost look relieved for a moment. _Guess he still comes when I call_, she laughed. He approached her slowly, and to her it seemed as if he was trying not to startle her. In all honesty, she had wished he placed her chakram closer to her, but across the room was probably a safer place for him. He placed Eve down next to her, and Xena focused her attention. Eve crawled towards Xena and stared up at her with her beautiful blue eyes. The child than managed to snuggle her way into her mothers limp arm and content seemed to fall asleep. Ares watched the situation; that was how things should be. _Too bad it's never going to happen_, he unhappily concluded. Slowly Ares sat down on the bed and when Xena didn't voice protest through their link he laid down next to the two. Xena watched him silently and before being caught she quickly turned her head towards her daughter, now safely encased between the two adults.

"Go to sleep Xena," He said quietly. "You should rest, it'll get the poison out of you faster." She smiled at this and blinked her eyes in response. Closing them she couldn't help the forlorn feeling that swept through her. _Rest, as if I'll ever be able to rest again,_ she thought sadly. _He clearly doesn't want me here anymore._ _I should have known. _At this Xena's thoughts stopped, suddenly her mind was siding with her heart and calling her a fool. _He wants you here; he just doesn't think you want to be here. He's trying to do what you want._ She opened her eyes hesitantly, his were closed and he appeared to be sleeping. She wasn't really sure if he was or not, but it was a good guess. She looked to Eve again and found the child happily curled up between the two, one of her tiny hands resting on Ares arm and the other on her mother's. _Eve has no fear of him. She feared the others, but not Ares, and not Aphrodite. Maybe he has been looking after her all those nights, I thought I was just going insane. _She tried to reestablish her link with Ares, but found she couldn't. She kept trying and finally she found herself in his mind. She didn't know how to read thoughts, only that when the two were connected she could feel his feelings, not nearly as powerfully as he could feel hers, but she could feel a bit. He seemed empty to her. Sleep slowly taking her, she allowed herself to fall back into her dreamscape. She could feel inside her, Ares heartbeat. Opening her eyes in what was obviously her dream she found herself back in the garden she'd been in with Aphrodite, and to her surprise she found Ares lying against a tree, Eve curled up next to him, dozing.

"Ares?" She walked closer hesitantly, not wanting to startle him. If he had God powers in her dreams he could do some serious damage. He opened his eyes and looked at her in surprise. This was not his usual dream of her; he glanced next to him to find Eve sleeping soundly beside him, wrapped up in a little blanket.

"Uh hi Xena," he greeted. He tried not to show her confusion. She glanced over him carefully, he was still a God that much was for sure and this felt like the same dream she shared with Aphrodite.

"Ares did you tap into my dream again?" She questioned. Her tone wasn't filled with malice as usual but rather genuine curiosity.

"I don't think so. If I'm here, it's because you let me here. This is your dreamscape, not one of the ones I created. Course I'm not quite sure how I still got here, I didn't think I was sleeping."

"You're not asleep?"

"I didn't think I was, but maybe I am," he answered looking around. She watched him carefully falling into her defense attitude. Ares did not miss this.

"You're sure you're not doing this subconsciously?"

"Xena, I stopped messing with your dreams after Amphipolis," he replied quietly. She nodded her head and sat down on the other side of Eve.

"So if you didn't come on your own, how'd you get here?" He looked at her, she didn't seem angry, and he found he was relieved to see her moving around instead of lying in one place.

"I don't know, what were you doing before you fell asleep?"

"Trying to talk to you." He looked surprised and pondered what she'd said.

'Well, maybe you and I were… are still connected and you pulled me into your dreamscape. It's unusual, but with you I wouldn't be surprised," he laughed a bit.

"And Eve?" He studied her for a moment, she was either going to slap after he said it or let it go.

"I was trying to tap into Eve, I keep being called and every time it feels like you calling, but its not. I'm trying to see what she wants," he explained.

"You don't think Eve could pull us in her dream, do you?" He was about to answer no immediately but than thought about it. She could have done, but she was a small child, she had to have had help.

"If she did, she didn't do it alone."

"This is where I met Aphrodite when you left," she started hoping maybe he would take the information and come to a conclusion that she couldn't form herself. Instead he just glanced back at her and smiled.

"So that's why I couldn't find her," he mused. Xena looked at him strangely and Ares realized he had not told her she was no longer prey. "You, Eve, and blondie are free to go. Athena had to repeal your death sentence when Demeter and the Fates pointed out that the Prophecy was self-fulfilling. Even if Athena would want to act against that, she has no more support. Most of the Gods and Goddess really like you, and they're scared right now. They don't want to piss off the Warrior Princess again. Artemis also likes your bard, and she's terrified that I would intervene in any plot they may come up with."

"Would you?"

"Yes." Silence descended upon the two and they watched the sleeping baby between them. Xena carefully placed Eve in her lap and slid closer to Ares. He studied her carefully before choosing his words. "He wanted her to be Empress of Rome." Xena glanced up at this and he clarified, "The General I took her from."

"Must have been tempting." He could hear and feel the anger that coursed through her.

"Not really, not for me. Personally I think if you teach her anything it should be defense, just so she can keep the boys away, but what do I know."

"You don't think she should be trained?" Xena gasped with shock.

"Not for combat. I told Dite she could train her, that is if for some reason you weren't coming back. I figured she could stay here, have a dog and horse, maybe some scrolls. The other Gods can't get here and after the panic had settled down Dite could say she was an orphan. Olympus would never know," he explained. To say she was surprised was an understatement. The fact that he'd put thought into an alternative plan all to keep her daughter safe was slightly unsettling.

"Why?" was all she could force out.

"Well I hear kids like dogs, and you got along well with Argo so I thought Eve might too. As for the scrolls, I thought maybe she'd picked up something from blondie," he said.

"No," she interrupted, "Why do it at all? That's what I don't get. You would risk all of Olympus; do you have any idea what they might do to you? I can guarantee they have not forgotten about the Dahok incident, and than you would just…" her rant faded off. She really shouldn't angry, but if she was dead what did it matter what happened to Eve. She would never know.

"The Abyss of Tartarus," he answered stopping her thoughts.

"What?"  
"Athena made it very clear. I would be stripped of my Godhood and tossed into the Abyss."

"And you would risk that for Eve? I…" He cut her off.

"Before you ask why, the answer is yes I would risk it, because I love you. I don't know what I have to do to get through you, but I do love you." She stared at him, this was what she'd wanted years ago, but years ago she was to be a Warrior Queen.

"Even thought I will never lead your army or be your Warrior Queen?"

"Yes, is it really that hard to believe?" He inquired.

"Yes actually it is!" She snapped.

"Why? I loved you before and I love you now, more if that's possible. This is the side of you I feel in love with; you forget I was there before the Destroyer of Nations. I learned to love that woman too, but I fell in love with this side of you."

"I know you loved the Destroyer, but Ares, honestly what am I supposed to believe. After all…"

"I am not going to deny the power rush I got from the Destroyer, I did love you than, but not as much as now. You weren't yourself as the Destroyer, we pulled apart, you were just coming back to the woman you were before when you switched sides. I shouldn't have let you go to sea, I should have made sure you stayed here…"

"I wouldn't have listened," she replied. He smiled at her, and shook his head. She was right; he knew that. Telling her to do something was just never very effectual.

"I know, and Xena I am sorry for what I did, I just didn't know what else to do, and than after awhile I figured out that maybe it wasn't about getting you back to your old self, this is who you were meant to be, than it just became a matter of getting you back…to well, anyway." He faded off.

"I did love you than," she said confidently. "You have no idea how tempted I was to say yes. I would have taken the Warrior Queen crap, if it meant going back to you that first time when you framed me for murder. After that, it got a lot easier to believe you didn't care."

"I didn't stop loving you, it just got stronger and than I didn't know how to handle it, I wasn't brought up with love, it was a new concept." He said, as if that might make it better. He paused he knew he was about to put his heart on the line this time for real. "What about now?"

She looked at him for a moment, trying to gauge the depth of his question. He wasn't trying to read her mind, she could lie, she had only lied to him straight out once before, and he'd known. She could partially lie, she knew she still loved him, she just wasn't sure if that was enough.

"I…" she wanted to say she didn't know, but she did. She did love him and the more she thought about, that's why everything had hurt so much more. That was why he could hurt her. Gabrielle had hurt her, but that a was a betrayal, and Solan's death hurt far worse than anything she'd ever known, but it was a different pain. All his tricks, his words, they cut deeper. She heard him sigh, he knew she wasn't going to give him an answer; he'd backed her into a corner again.

"Forget it Xena," he said quietly in the same voice that she recognized. _Maybe you'll find a nice guy to be a father to her_…it kept replaying in her head.

"Ares I need to know right, did you mean what you said, that I should find someone to be a father to Eve?" His look of shock would have made her laugh if she wasn't so worried about his answer.

"How did you…"

"Just answer the damn question!"

"Look Xena, it's your life, but yea I would hope you could find someone to be a father to Eve, a good man who you would care about. Maybe even I don't know Hercules?"

"Hercules? Are you insane?" He looked at her with surprise, she was getting angry with him and he couldn't figure out why. "Hercules would not take on all Olympus to save one child. He was too frightened to take on his on father. If it hadn't been a reflex I think we all would have been dead. I don't need to find a father for Eve, I already found one."

"Yea Gabrielle," he muttered.

"Gabrielle is her Aunt, I am not in love with Gabrielle. She may be my best friend but that's it." At the raise of voices, Eve had stirred. The child began to cry quietly and the both looked down. Xena calmed herself before holding Eve up so they were eyelevel. It was than she noticed Ares looking away. "Ares."

"What?"

"Did you mean it? Cause if this is another one of your plots to get me back…"

"What?"

"Did you mean it, you tried to tell me before Eve was born and I wouldn't believe you. I didn't think you were capable of love. I knew you could love a Warrior, but you could love someone who fought against you all the time."

"All the time? Sometimes I am on your side."

"Present fight excluded."

"Xena, I love you. Nothing is going to change that, not even eternity or mortality."

"And what about Eve?"

"My love for you extends to Eve, just like it does to Solan, who by the way doesn't know about this yet. I haven't figured out a way to tell him."

"You talk to Solan?"

"Yes, you don't really think he created Illuisa on his on do you?" Xena looked away. She knew someone powerful had to help her son, she just never considered him a possibility. He was the one who had tempted her, _and that was why. He knew all along we'd go to Illusia. _

"No, well than I guess that answers the question. Ares I do still love you, but you have to understand that I am not going back to what I was." He looked up at her still holding Eve to her chest and he leaned in and kissed her lightly. She smiled against his lips and kissed him again. "And just so we're clear this is not a deal or a fallback."

"No deal, got it." He replied. He shifted so she could lean against him with Eve still in her arms. She leaned into his arms as they wrapped around. "So, is it going to work the same way once we get out of here, cause when we wake up…"

"I know what I feel Ares, it may be hidden, but I know its there," she replied. She held Eve up once more. "Eve, go say hi to Daddy," the little girl looked up with a big smile on her face and Ares reached up a hand which she readily grabbed. "Guess you two got to know each other while I was gone."

"A little bit, she's a lot like you," he answered. Xena smiled at this.

"There will be no fireball blasting of boyfriends clear?" Ares looked at her with a huge grin and laughed.

"I'll try not to, but if Apollo comes near her…" he faded off. Xena just shook her head slightly. She had a faraway look in her eye and just held Eve close to her. "Xena, can I ask you one thing?"

"Only one?"

"You knew I was going to stop you, why didn't you tell me the plan?" She sighed. She knew this was going to come up. He wasn't angry with her anymore, just confused.

"Ares, I felt guilt since that day in Amphipolis, I couldn't face it any longer. I knew what I did was way below the belt, it had been a good plan, it would have been a great plan had I felt nothing, but I did feel and that was the problem. The day on the beach, I'd run out of options. There was nothing else to do, I couldn't go back to you, not after that day, and still you had come. I wanted to make sure you'd go back to Olympus and stay there. That's why Gabrielle told the story to Aphrodite, so she could convince you that it was only a story, that we couldn't be alive. Guess I was just a little to convincing myself. I…I am sorry about it. But if I had died that day, I would have at least died in your arms." She said quietly. He wrapped his arm tightly around her and just held her close. He knew the second they were out of this dreamscape, things would go back the way they were. They weren't the type to talk about feelings, let alone confess them to such lengths, but this was enough. He had his reasons, now she could be forgiven.

"Well I'm glad I found out eventually. Guess after all the times you foiled my plots, I managed to final figure yours out, so let's call it even, and start over."

"Sounds good, but I think Eve is waking up." He looked over her shoulder and found Eve slowly vanishing, but they did not. "Guess it wasn't Eve's dreamscape after all." He nodded. She lay back down and slowly began to vanish; he too was being pulled back to the waking realm.

"Ares!" He came awake to find Xena's hand resting over his onto of Eve's stomach. His first thoughts weren't to the voice that called him but the fact that Xena had moved even the tiniest bit. "Ares!" That was when he heard the voice.

"Aphrodite stop screaming you're going to wake them both up," Ares said.

"Bro, we got a serious problem. All of Rome is calling to you. They want your approval to go into battle against Greece for the child they call Livia, the daughter of a Roman General, ring any bells?" Ares came sat up at this, his movement disturbing Eve.

"Aphrodite, you can fake handwriting yes?"

"Uh sure, but the Romans and Greeks, little bit more important than a scroll, Bro."

"Write a note in Xena's handwriting, send it to Octavius, have it say that Eve was collected on her orders. Or something to that affect." He felt something pulling at his mind and turned to see Xena looking up at him. She could manage to use one arm to push herself up a bit, but she still couldn't move her legs.

"Ares, just take me to Octavius, I can be persuasive, and I have a few choice words for him," she said. Ares just stared at her, sure he heard her voice in his head and in the dreamscape but hearing it from her in the living realm just took his breath away. She was back, and she was his.

"Warrior babe! Man just how much did you drink? Gabrielle's already walking around, well she hasn't gone very far, and Joxer keeps hovering," Dite explained. Xena just nodded.

"I have no idea, but I can feel my legs so eventually they'll move. So how about that trip to Rome?" She turned to Ares.

"Sounds great, Eve or no Eve?"

"Eve, after all, we need proof. And I want to spend time with her. Has she been through the ether?"

"Oh once or twice," he smiled claiming her hand. Aphrodite had recognized that smile. _The couple of the century is back online! YES! Now to convince Gabrielle and of course favorite half-bro, this'll be fun, but first the good news for the happy couple_.

"Ah before you two lovebirds flash out, just thought I'd tell you that by her incredibly deduction power, the Goddess of Wisdom figured out where they've been, she's not thrilled with you Bro, but Hades is keeping her on a tight leash. She is willing to issue a formal apology to Xena though, and Eve, and she's invited you all to Olympus. Warrior Babe, she also says that you have every right to hate her, but she'd rather you not kill her. And Bro, she said one trampling of Athens or Temple."

"Tell her neither, but if she comes near Eve, I will blast her precious city and all her Temples," Ares said sternly. Dite winked and flashed out. "Well are we going?" Xena nodded and the three flashed into a formal Roman sitting room. Ares had arranged it so Xena would be resting comfortable on divan Eve on her lap. They had arrived just as Octavious and the General Ares had taken Eve from entered.

"We'll find the baby and than…Xena?" came Octavious stunned greeting.

"Hello Octavious, introduce me to your friend," she said slyly. Ares recognized that tone; she was going to make some people very scared, with no blood damage.

"General, this is Xena the Warrior Princess of Greece and…Eve? You have Eve?"

"She is my daughter. So kind of you General to look after her, until her father could get her," Xena replied. Xena looked up at the General and she knew she'd gotten him. _Works every time._

"Xena, I was under the impression there was no father," Octavious inserted. A flash of blue light startled both the general and the Emperor to be.

"Lord Ares," the General greeted with a bow, Octavious bowing slightly.

"Lord Ares, have you come to help us find Livia?" Octavious inquired, slightly hesitant, knowing that Livia was in fact the child of the Warrior Princess.

"Actually General, I'm here to also thank you for looking after the Warrior Princess' daughter, Eve." He said stressing her name. "Seeing as it was I that took Eve, I think you can call off your attack on Greece. The child is back where she belongs."

"Octavious as you can see I have Eve now and…"

"Xena, we were under the impression you were dead and…"

"No. It was all part of the plan. We came to get Eve, but she wasn't here. We had to look for her. Not exactly pleasant I might add, and due to your inability to follow simple requests I missed three seasons of my child's life. I trust in the future, you will listen more closely," Xena said with a tone that was not to be argued with. The General was about to protest when he caught the God of War's look. Octavious nodded and the two bowed again. Xena nodded to Ares and the three flashed out.

"Octavious you told me we had Rome's new Empress," the General warned.

"How was I to know that Eve was the daughter of the God of War? We better make some offerings, I would hate for us to loose a battle because of this incident. Just what did you do to the child?" The ranting continued as the two left the room, from inside the ether laughs were heard and than the trio appeared inside the Fortress' bedroom they'd left from.

"Well that was entertaining," Xena remarked as she steadied herself. Her legs were still not functioning, she could move them a bit, but there was no doubt it her mind that she couldn't' stand.

"If they offer baby toys, Xena…" He faded off as she just started laughing hysterically. In between her fits she was able to get out:

"If they did that, you'd probably toast them all, but make sure Eve gets the toys."

Ares just rolled his eyes at his Warrior Princess and looked down to Eve who seemed utterly delighted in her mother's mood. At the insistent knocking Ares looked up, and this got Xena's attention.

"What is it?"

"Athena is trying to get in, she's with Hades and…Artemis, and Dite, who has a mortal with her, at least I think it's a mortal. It better not be who I think it is."

"Well do they have their powers here?"

"They do but I'd rather not let them in, Xena."

"Ares it's high time we settled this once and for all. Now you said that Eve is protected and if any God threatens her I will be able to protect her as well. They're aren't stupid enough to attack in your Castle, and they won't try anything with me, not while you're by my side."

"And Gabrielle and Joxer?"

"If they harm them I will do far worse than kill them, they will have wished the Twilight had come," Xena replied evenly. Ares looked at her, she wasn't tapping into her dark side, she hadn't switched; she was just fiercely loyal, _just as Aphrodite said_.

"Alright, come on, we can greet them in the throne room, you can't…" Xena tried to move but found she couldn't. She shook her head sadly. He nodded and the three flashed into the throne room where Ares ensure there was a divan set up. Xena sat lounging on it, no one would be all the wiser, he placed Eve down for a moment and pulled something from behind his back. "Look just don't aim this at me, I don't want to test your God threatening powers." She nodded her head and reached up to him, he leaned down for a moment and she kissed him.

"Whatever happens in here, I love you, and I'm glad you foiled my plans," she said. He nodded.

"And I love you, and Eve." He said patting the baby on her head. Ares looked up again, "Damn siblings," she heard him mutter. All at once flashes of light filled the room. When it cleared there was a momentary silence and Xena saw Hades, Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, and to her complete shock Hercules. _Aphrodite must have a death wish._ Than the shouting and yelling began. Ares was so close to blasting something and Xena didn't want it to be anyone that might retaliate so she threw her chakram. The whizzing caused everyone to fall silence as it weaved in between and around them, it ricochet off the wall and whizzing back. Ares reached his hand up and caught it. "I told you not to throw it," He whispered.

"And when have I ever listened?" She replied with a smile. He didn't answer but handed the weapon back to her and turned to face his family.

"So why are you all stirring a racket on my front door?" He inquired. Athena opened her mouth and Ares saw this, "Hades?" He added quickly not wanting to listen to a lecture. He saw Athena's eyes deepen and he glared back at her.

"Not that I wanted to cause sibling rivalry, but I believe two of your sisters owe you and apology…"

"And you don't?" Xena interrupted.

"Now I owe one the most of all, even though Athena is Wisdom I am still her elder. I should have paid more attention instead of panicking like a Godling. I know your son Solan; he's a good boy. I should have at least tried to get to know Eve, before joining in the pact to kill her and you. Ares, as for you, I should have listened to Aphrodite or at the very least Persephone, who also hopes you, Xena, and Eve are doing well," Hades said. Ares looked almost touched, out of all his relatives, Hades was the one he could relate to. He had always been declared awful, because he managed the dead, just as Ares managed War, but they had both found true love and in such beautiful beings too. "Persephone also said she would be willing to take Eve to meet her brother, when she gets a bit older of course," Hades added towards Xena. The Warrior Princess nodded. She had no real grudge with Hades it was the two Goddesses she'd focus in on. "Athena, Artemis I believe you have something to say to your brother."

"I would also like to speak to Gabrielle, if I may," The huntress timidly requested. Xena faintly heard Hercules mutter something about Ares corrupting all the good. She looked towards Ares, he had heard as well and smirked and than nodded to Artemis request. The blonde bard and Joxer soon stood amongst the other beings.

"How did I get…Xena!" Gabrielle exclaimed as she rushed to her friend's side.

"Hi Gabrielle, we can catch up later, exchange ice stories, but in the meantime there is a Goddess who wishes to speak with you," Xena said to her friend prying her off. Gabrielle nodded and stood off the side, surprising Xena when she let Ares reclaim his place next to them.

"Goddess Artemis," Gabrielle greeted with disdain.

"Queen Gabrielle, I wish to apologize for my behavior towards the Amazons, towards you a Queen of my beloved children, and to Eve, a princess of the Amazons," She began.

"I cannot accept for the Amazons, you should speak with Ephiny, and the other Amazons. I do accept your apology for myself and for Eve," Gabrielle said.

"Thank you, I will speak with the Amazons, and be more present I do promise. As for you Xena I do apologize for partaking in this, I should have left matters be, and Ares I shall not partake in your domain unless it is on the behalf of the Amazons, ever again. I have done enough damage for eternity," Artemis finished. Xena nodded and Ares still seemed unfazed.

"Ares, I will admit you had the right course of action. I do believe my order was justified giving what we knew, but Hades was right, we should have conducted ourselves like Gods and looked further into the Prophecy. You have my word that Eve, Xena, and Gabrielle will be safe from now on," Athena promised, than she flashed out. Ares visibly calmed down.

"Well now that that's over with…" Aphrodite was cut off.

"OVER WITH! Xena you're letting Ares hold your child!" Hercules exclaimed.

"And?" came Xena response.

"He is War! What are you thinking?" Hercules demanded. At this remark Gabrielle noticed Xena's ice glaze frost over. Gabrielle was smart enough to know that if this didn't end quickly it was going to end in a beating.

"Hercules when you were a father did you hold your child?" Gabrielle inquired, stepping into the fight.

"Yes, but I hardly see how that is relevant. I'm certainly not going to corrupt my own children!"

"And neither will I," came Ares even toned answer. At this response Aphrodite's eyes got wide and flowers burst into the air. Artemis glanced over at her sister and soon saw what she had been missing before. _By Aphrodite, he's in love!_ Somewhere inside her head the Forest Goddess heard laughter and a 'no duh!' Artemis smiled at this and flashed out. Hades on the other hand decided it was high time to stick up for his nephew, the one he could relate to.

"Xena, I thought this child had no father."

"Maybe Eve doesn't have a natural father, but Ares is her father now." Xena glanced up at him and he smiled down to her, he took one of her hands and placed it with his on Eve's feet and the little girl giggled.

"Xena, you can't be serious," Hercules answered.

"Ares was willing to give up Olympus…"

"It just goes to show he will betray you just as easily!" Hercules fought back, finally satisfied to have an argument she couldn't disagree to. Though the Demi-God hero found it hard for the Warrior Princess he had claimed to have anything good to say about his War God brother.

"Oh Herc, lighten up!" Came Dite's bubbly reaction. "Now let me explain something to you, see there's thing called a love-match, it's a pure and true love-match, very hard to find. Its so rare most people never ever find theirs, they'll find happiness sure, like Xena did with Gabrielle, but it won't be comparable to a true love-match. Now Xena and Ares have a love-match, so there. No more arguing. It was inevitable."

"Inevitable? Aphrodite, you as the Goddess of Love, cannot possibly believe that War could love?"

"Did ya ever hear of Troy? A War fought over love, thank you very much," Dite muttered. Xena smiled at the Love Goddess. Ares was about to step in, when Hercules launched himself again.

"Xena think of all the things he's done to you!" At this to Ares very own surprise Gabrielle turned to him.

"Ares, could you magic in my scrolls please, its very important." Ares just nodded, and waved his hand. The irritating blonde was defending him? _You know maybe she's not so bad after all._ Gabrielle rummaged through and pulled out a few scrolls. "Alright Hercules, as Xena's official Bard, I have every account in great detail of all the things Ares did to her. So you just tell me what's so bad about what he did, and I'll find you the proof." At this the glimmer in Ares eyes seemed too damper.

"The time her framed you for murder Xena! You were almost killed because…"

"Because Xena was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Ares needed to test her skills as an adversary. Nothing so bad about that, Xena?"

"I quite agree," Xena said for lack of something intelligent. She was too surprised.

"The furies!"

"Well Ares didn't kill her, and he helped her deal with the truth of something from her childhood that she never knew about, the death of her father, so his method may not have been soft and caring but it was what she needed, right Ares?"

"Sure." Ares looked down at Xena and watched with amusement.

'Guess you never thought she'd ever defend me.'

'Did you do something to her?'

'Me? Sweet I haven't left your side.'

'True, except for the Dite thing.'

'Okay so I was gone for a bit, but I was with Eve, we were looking at some tapestries.'

'Oh? Yes oh now shush Hercules just brought up Dahok.'

"Hope's birth, Gabrielle don't tell me you can stand there and defend them. He betrayed not only Olympus but all of us!" Hercules shouted. Gabrielle grudging tried not to give him that one, but it was tempting.

"Now hold one moment, Gabrielle was not aware of Ares part till after the fact. Ar warned Xena to destroy the temple but she didn't listen."

"Aphrodite you can't honestly expect me to believe that Xena is responsible for the actions that killed her own son, do you?" At this Xena tensed her hand around the chakram. Ares quickly grabbed her hand tighter and looked at her.

'Solan was not your fault, Xena. It was Hope.'

"Hope killed Solan, if anyone was to blame it was me for not listening to Xena, not Xena listening to Ares, Hope killed Solan, Hercules," Gabrielle answered in a cold tone.

"And Ares convinced Xena to kill you," he retorted.

"Because he knew we'd go to Illusia, he did that per Solan's request." Xena stared at her friend. She didn't think Gabrielle knew that Ares was behind it.

"Hercules are we going to hash out every thing I ever did to her, because this might take awhile," Ares inquired.

"Ares you have no right to be near her! You destroyed her!"

"Now hold on just a moment, Xena became who she was because of Cortese, he was not my warlord, not even remotely affiliated to me…"

"So you didn't start her on her path of destruction."

"He told me the world could have peace through force. Technically it's what I still do, just for different reasons now," Xena added. Hercules couldn't believe what he was hearing. So far Hades had been silent till than, but he was biding his time. Hercules was slowly becoming a nuisance.

"Alright, than answer me this Xena, how does he have the right to be a father to your child, where was Ares when Eve was in danger?" Hercules snapped. Hades saw Xena about to open her mouth but silenced her.

"He was at her side the entire time, even when Xena tricked him into saving a doll in front of Athena. He was there on the beach that day too. He caught Xena's dying body and defied Olympus by giving them a proper burial somewhere, we could never find them, and even than he refused to give up on her. When he found out Eve was alive, he went and took her from a Roman General because he knew that was not the life Xena had wanted for her daughter. He asked Aphrodite to help him care for the baby while he tried to figure out what had gone wrong in Xena's plans. Which brings us to the present," Hades explained. "Now you can either accept the fact that these two are meant for each other and very much in love or…"

"There is no or, because they are not in love. Hades, I understand you love Persephone but Ares cannot love."

"Why not Hercules? He loved me before I was anything but a village girl with an attitude problem, and he loves me now, nearly a decade later," Xena declared. She had had enough of this and slowly she got to her feet. Both Ares and Gabrielle seemed to be the only two to notice that she could barley stand. Ares freed an arm from Eve and wrapped it securely around the Warrior Princess. If he had to hold her up so she could feel safe, he would. Xena in truth had a death grip on Ares arm to support her own weight, but to the observer it would just appear as a light touch.

"Xena maybe Ares has changed, okay, I admit I haven't seen a lot of Wars going on, but love is a big step, and to say he loved you back than, maybe he told you just to…"

"If you are about to say what I think, you better shut your mouth, or Zeus rules be damned you will be ash," Hades commanded. Surprised at the bluntness of the command Hercules stopped mid sentence.

"Hercules, I can understand why you're upset, truthfully you're luck you were ash all those years ago when you changed Xena, be happy that I wanted her back more than I wanted to kill you," Ares said. Aphrodite was watching this with interest, _if only Ar knew half of what happened between him and Xena, Herc would definitely be ash, either Xena's not going to tell him or, no she's protecting him. He would blame himself and she couldn't live with that. I wonder if she remembers that night, and the night we met. _The Love Goddess switched her attention to the Warrior Babe at her brother's side and suddenly realized that she was barley standing. Ares was pouring his strength into her. _Oh this won't do. Well Hades and Gabrielle can referee_.

"Ares you wanted your favorite Warrior Princess back, that was it."

"You ever wonder why she's the Warrior Princess?" Hercules looked slightly confused at Gabrielle's sudden input. "Well its because she's not just a warrior! She has a regal air of quality to her. It makes people like her and want to be loyal to her!"

"Right, Gabrielle, well maybe because you knew Xena when she got that name."

"Xena got that name when she was 16 years old, when she became my Chosen. Aphrodite gave her the name," Ares supplied. He noticed Aphrodite approaching them, and slightly irritated at being put on the spotlight.

"Right, well I think its suits her! She looked like a Princess, but when Apollo tried to make a move, man did he regret it," Dite giggled. A smile graced Xena's lips as she remembered it. "Now Bro, I think I'm going to take the Warrior babe and the little chica from some rest, you know baby needs food and stuff." Sensing that Aphrodite was getting Xena out so that she could rest, Ares nodded. He handed the baby to Aphrodite, who than took Xena's hand and with Ares still supporting her the flashed out. Aphrodite made sure Xena landed on the bed with herself and Eve perched in a chair nearby.

"Dite, are you sure leaving them was a good idea?"

"If Ar knows what's good for him he's not going to toast Hercules, course if Hades does it, than I suppose it wouldn't a problem. Gabrielle will constrain them after all she knows you two better than you thought huh?"

"I was surprised, you didn't do anything to her did you?"

"Aside from getting her to have a long talk with Joxer, nope, not a thing." Aphrodite conjured some toys and set Eve down on a blanket that also just appeared. "So about you and the Stud muffin of war?"

"Dite, you didn't do anything to my dream did you?"

"No, why should I have?"

"No, but I think, I think everything's going to be okay," Xena answered.

"So you're giving him a chance at the Daddy gig? Cause really he hasn't shut up about you since he found you, and after all his screwing up very simple plans I have to say I'm getting irritated," The Love Goddess stated. Xena nodded her head. "Good! So say do you remember when we met?"

"How could I forget? You came to me right after, that night. You knew didn't you?"

"I did, I knew you were a love-match, couldn't explain it but I had this huge power rush that night and I traced it down. I thought it was bizarre that I found it in Ar's temple, but hey I wasn't about to get put out. He sealed the doors, so I couldn't check and that's how I knew it was him. My own War God brother had found his match, you don't know how I happy I was. The next morning I waited till he left and than I traced the other half to you. I was surprised, you were not exactly what I was expecting, but when I found out you were Xena, it made a lot more sense."

"I forget how long we talked, you were telling me something about torturing one of Athena's Priest with some pretty girl when Ares came back. I called you…what did I call you?" Xena asked.

"An irritating blonde."

"No!" Xena gasped, Aphrodite nodded. "I knew it sounded familiar, he stole my insult!" Aphrodite started to laugh and at this Xena did too. "Well I suppose if you and I can become friends maybe Ares and Gabrielle?"

"Don't push your luck," Dite laughed. Xena joined in at this.

"You know I'm going to have to get him back, and at the same time prove to him that he is the only person that I would ever want my daughter to call a father. You know he told me he thought Hercules might be a good idea."

"Did he?" Dite asked with shock, and she was. The fact that the War God had thought that Hercules could understand and love all that was Xena was an interesting if not foolish development.

"He's the only one, who there's nothing to hide from," Xena admitted softly.

"I know, and I know you understand him and his Godhood, better than any mortal and probably better than the other Gods. Honestly, when he was going to offer you…"Aphrodite faded off for a moment.

"Offer me what Dite? He told me I would have a place by his side as his Warrior Queen, is that what you're talking about?" Aphrodite shook her head.

"He might kill me for telling you this you know?" Xena nodded her head. "Look you two were back to being happy and than he asked you to deal with Hercules, well the night you were to come back he was going to ask…"

"Ask what? Dite?"

"You know, he was going to ask."

"Marriage?"

"Well more like for forever as in eternity."

"He was going to make me a Goddess?"

"Yea, he…well anyway it never happened," Aphrodite said quietly.

"Dite you came to me that night, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think you would go back, and I…he…wanted me to promise never to tell you, I wouldn't promise, but I was just so angry. I'm glad Herc changed you, I am, but I wish he hadn't made you think that Ares wouldn't love you. I wanted to tell you that night, you were so upset, I'd never seen you cry and I don't think you have since, but I wasn't sure Ar was going to take you back at that moment. He was pretty scary for a while, just like you were depressed, he was violent, he never brought it up again, except around the Dahok thing, while Gabrielle was missing. He warned me to stay away from you."

"That was his ultimate low. If I married him and gave him my soul, he would return Gabrielle, I stole the contract from and toss…hide it."

"In the Aegean?"

"HE FOUND IT!"

"Well yea, but he destroyed it after your were um…crucified. He than proceeded to talk Brutus into making sure Caesar never breathed again," Dite explained.

"Well that did have Ares' name written all over it," Xena mumbled. She turned her attention to her daughter sitting on the floor and looked around the room she was in. She remembered coming out of her dream, her hand in his, her…no their daughter in between them protected and safe. _I could do this for eternity._ "Dite, thank you for telling me. I know how mad he'd be, but don't worry I swear he won't have a chance to do anything to you." And with that the Warrior Princess pulled up strength scooped her daughter up off the floor and strode out the room followed by a confused Love Goddess.

Aphrodite was not sure she wanted to know what Xena had meant by her comment, but judging by the love coming off her, it couldn't be a bad idea. The two could hear the fighting coming from the throne room, just words, but they were quickly silence when Xena threw open the doors and walked in with Eve on her hip. Xena walked straight past Hercules without so much as glance and straight up to Ares.

"You've been holding out on me," She said. Ares just stared at her more in awe of the fact that she was walking. He could tell that she was in pain, not only was it coming loud and clear through their link he could see her gripping Eve tightly so that should she fall she could fall in a way not to harm the baby.

"Have I?"

"Yes, you have. See there's this question you asked me once, but at the time you were up to your usual tricks, now had you asked me the first time you intended to, you may have gotten another response." Ares again stared at her. She had cut herself off so he couldn't probe her thoughts and their link was down as her pain had also been cut off from him. He couldn't get a read on her, she seemed like she was pissed, but at the same time her eyes held her mischievous trance. _What question? What is she talking about? Let's see I said you and a child of our own equal's protection for Eve, but that couldn't be it we already worked out that. _The War God glanced at his sister standing slightly behind Hades and trying to look not interested.

"Aphrodite, did you do something to her?"

"Ares, you look at me, your sister is not to be harmed, understand?" Xena inquired. Ares glanced down and saw her mischief filled smile suddenly replaced by her ice look. He thought for a moment, if Aphrodite hadn't done anything to her, but Xena was still threatening him, Dite clearly knew something about this. _Think War God what does Dite know that would provoke this reaction? Let's see no cheating, nope nobody since Callisto in Xena's body and does that constitute as cheating? Hm… What else is there? Didn't screw with Xena's dreams, didn't mess with the blonde, didn't claim her soul. Her soul? Okay I destroyed that contract after I asked…Dite you're dead._

"Are you sure I can't toss one fireball at her?" Ares asked. Xena looked at him with the 'do it and see what happens' look. "So now how exactly have I been holding out on you Xena?"

"If your memory is getting that bad…"

"My memory is just fine, I just can't help wondering what it is I've been holding out on."

"Joxer?"

"Uh…Xena?"

"What was the trade for Gabrielle's soul? Well I mean would could be the trade if Ares' were to have some unfortunate accident and come to claim it."

"Uh…well didn't he," Xena looked at him, "probably your soul."

"You used Gabrielle as a bargaining chip!" Hercules exclaimed. "Xena why do you do this to yourself, he obviously doesn't love you."

"Oh he does. See I happen to know my soul is free to do with as I please, now wouldn't you love to know how I found that out," Xena said lowering her voice so that only Ares could her last sentence.

"Xena?" Gabrielle called. Xena glanced at her for a moment. "Xena, do you mind getting Ares to confess later, I was enjoying the argument."

"Oh do tell, just what did Aphrodite and I miss."

"Hercules is under the impression, that Ares doesn't love you, citing he wouldn't want to spend eternity with you," Gabrielle recited.

"To which I pointed out that I have tried numerous times to get you back, suggesting that I do love you and would want to spend eternity with you," Ares replied forcefully. Xena glanced up at this.

"Really?"

"Really what?"

"You, me, eternity."

"Yes, but I know you don't want to be a Goddess, so there are other ways, cause I'm not about to let you go."

"Ares you're a sore loser, you can't stake claim on her for all eternity."

"And why ever not, Hercules?" Aphrodite demanded. At Aphrodite's voice, Xena remembered other reason she'd come in here.

"Before you answer Hercules. I would like to remind Ares, just who called who an irritating blonde first."

"XENA YOU WOULDN'T!" Gabrielle shrieked.

"No actually, it was my favorite name for Dite, somebody stole it," Xena grumbled. Ares looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. _Okay now is there some way that Xena and Dite were talking about the past…what's in the past that she could get so worked up about? Unless Dite…Dite wouldn't do that to me, so she told Xena I got rid of the contract she wouldn't tell her the whole truth..._

"Well I always said my best ideas came from you," he responded.

"Really?" She said with an interested tone.

"Yes?" he answered hesitantly.

"Good answer Bro!" Dite cheered. His looks shut her cheer up; he was still trying to determine just how much Dite had told Xena.

"You ever wonder why I stopped calling her that?" Xena inquired.

"Became better friends?" Gabrielle suggested.

"Oh very true, but you'll never guess how."

"Do I want to know?" Ares asked.

"That all depends. Cause if you remember what you said to me in the forest after my lava pit adventure…" she faded off. It came back to him. So maybe Dite hadn't told her the rest of the story. _If she's only referring to that one time than she couldn't possibly know about the other_. He could still remember her in that dress.

"_Just out of curiosity-- what would 'a happened here today if I'd really been asking for your hand in marriage-- no strings attached?" She kissed him with all the bent up emotion of years of love._

"_Guess you'll never know."_

She saw him make the connection to the interesting conversation. The kiss had been real enough, she had meant it, and it was hard to pull away from, but she kept telling herself it was never meant to be and that this was his ultimate revenge, to marry her for a deal, what she had always wanted minus his love, _little did I know_, she thought.

"Okay Bro, before you two get into a major fight here, I would so love to know why Hercules thinks Ar can't claim the Warrior Babe for eternity! Hercules?"

"First she would never agree to it. Second, he'd have to be faithful and for Ares faithful is a coined term, thirdly…"

"Hercules unlike your father did, Ares doesn't sleep around much. Well in comparison. I mean the last person I can think of…actually it was Xena before she changed." Hades informed, trying very hard not to add a few comments.

"He didn't know about Callisto did he?" Xena commented.

"Technically it was still…"

"Shut up Ares," Gabrielle warned glancing towards her friend. She was slowly piecing together what Xena was practically drumming out of Ares, but she made it seemed as if he'd asked her before.

"I find that so hard to believe…" he faded off seeing the Love Goddess' evil eye. "Well she would still never agree to it." A flash of light and Athena appeared.

"How much are you willing to bet on that?" The Goddess of Wisdom asked.

"What?"

"Athena, how did you get back in here?" Gabrielle inquired.

"Ares let me back in. I asked nicely," She replied. "So tell me half-brother, how much would you stake on the fact that Xena wouldn't agree to eternity?" Hercules was quickly becoming concerned.

"Well she wouldn't want to lose herself to darkness and seeing as Ares is just that I would…"

"You always see things as good or evil," Xena remarked. Slowly turning to Ares as Athena continued on that bit of philosophy she tried to reach up to him. Ares noticed she was losing strength quickly. He wrapped an arm around her still enabling her to hold Eve, and still enabling her to stand. "So you thought Hercules would have been a good Dad huh?"

"Well, I was trying to think of good guys," he defended.

"Hm…so you were thinking I'd be happy with someone who couldn't except all that I was?"

"No, but I really didn't think Hercules had separated those two sides of you into two different people. You should have been in here before. He was listing traits and Gabrielle was going through a mental checklist and said no to almost all of them."

"You called her Gabrielle."

"I know. So what was this bonding experience between you and Dite?" She didn't respond right away, glancing back to make sure the attention was still focused on Athena and Hercules.

"We had a nice long talk about the past. The first time she and I met, which by the way is when I remembered where I'd heard the phrase before, and the time we met, the first night after I changed sides…"

"I'd wondered where she'd gone. It was the one night I didn't keep an eye on you."

"Dite said you kicked her out, she had scorch mark to prove it."

"She deserved it. She tried to tell me that… never mind."

"She tried to tell you that I still loved you, and you wouldn't believe her. Its okay I didn't believe her either. She came back after her attempt to convince you I guess. All I really remember that night was sitting on her ridiculously pink divan crying, and suspecting that there was something she wanted to tell me, but was suddenly afraid."

"I had quite a temper, you know that," he sighed. He knew exactly what night she'd been talking about. _But if she's bringing this up, than…than Dite told her._

"I didn't think I could back to you, but I know that's not true anymore. So it's a few years later, the important question is how long is it going to last?"

"She told you." It was a statement more than a question.

"Told me what?" Xena feigned innocence.

"Xena, even innocent you were that innocent."

"Well maybe I don't know what you're talking about?" He leaned in closer to her and his voice went into its seductive tone.

"I think you do."

"No, see I think I know what Dite told me, now what I'm trying to figure out is if she spoke the truth or if she's trying to torment me."

"Torment you?"

"See you asked me to marry you once as plot, and I can't tell you how much I hated you for that. It was by far the worst of the plots you ever pulled."

"Worse than Dahok?"

"Ten times worse, because that's when I started believing what I'd been trying to convince myself all along. Now you remember our little conversation in the woods, I said that because I didn't think you could ever do anything without strings from that moment on."

"Good than we're even, because I think that's the worse you've ever done too," he said leaning in closer. She tilted her head up.

"So what was Dite scorched for?"

"I planned on asking you to marry me, for eternity. The whole in front of the fates, but also the Gods, I was going to give you everything I had."

"You still asking?"

"If I am what are the chances you'd say yes."

"How about when Athena apologizes to you?"  
"But she…"

"Guess you figured out the answer." She captured his lips with hers and this kiss was passionate but not full of lust, only love and desire. Ares wrapped his other arm around her helping to support not only her own body weight but Eve's as well.

"You know," he whispered breaking the kiss, "Eve could become immortal too, I have a few Golden Apples hanging out."

"Do you now? She'd age faster wouldn't she?"  
"We could wait until she's older. The Apple won't turn her into a Goddess, just make her young and…" he was silenced with another kiss. In a flash of blue they left and reappeared in the bedroom, complete with the floor toys. They broke apart again, and Ares let Xena sit all her strength finally being zapped. Eve was put on the floor amongst the toys the Love Goddess had left, and Xena kept an eye on her and Ares. He opened a chest at the foot of the bed she looked at the design and recognized it.

"You kept all my stuff?" She asked amazed.

"Thought you might want some of it back," he replied finding what he was looking for.

"Hm…like what?" He held out a black pouch and her heart nearly stopped. She hadn't seen that in nearly three seasons. Not since she'd left it at his Temple in Amphipolis after Athena lifted her siege.

"Like this." He pulled out the blue diamond necklace and held it out to her. She could remember the first time she'd seen it, he had held it out just like that.

"You…I can't believe, I…" tears slowly slid down her face. He reached around and clasped it around her neck, wiping away his tears.

"I watched you, you left it in that hidden part of the wall. I couldn't figure out what you were doing back there. You cried than too and that's when I knew."

"Ares, I…" She leaned forward again and kissed him softly still full of passion, but much more love and tenderness. "I can live with this for eternity," she whispered happily.

"You know this makes you the Warrior Queen?" He said jokingly.

"Oh does it now?"

"As far as I'm concerned you were the Warrior Queen when Eve as born."

"I think I still like Warrior Princess better."

"Whatever you say, Sweet." He kissed her forehead and wrapped her in his arms. "I have missed holding you."

"I know." And that was all they needed. They could still faintly hear the arguing going on and knew they would have to come out soon, but first they called for Aphrodite, Athena, and Cupid. The three arrived careful not to step on any toys or the child.

"So what's going on down here and why didn't I get invited?" Cupid inquired.

"You just did. Athena as the current Ruler of Olympus I ask to add one more Goddess and one immortal to our family." Ares stated. Aphrodite's eyes lit up at this one.

"Why not make it two Goddess', a God, and an immortal?" Athena inquired. Xena looked hesitantly at Athena.

"Who else?"

"Artemis has approached be time and time again to ask that Gabrielle be made a Goddess, one to whose main focus would be the Amazons. Apollo has also asked that Joxer be made a God," she explained.

"Its not our choice," Ares replied. "I'm asking you for one Goddess and one immortal."

"I grant you request."

"There is one condition," Ares said.

"And that is?" Athena inquired.

"Eve doesn't get the Apple till she's older, that way she can have a semi normal childhood."

"I will agree to that if you agree to one of my own, Eve is not allowed to be trained in combat."

"Perish the thought!" Ares exclaimed much to the Goddess' surprise. "That child is Peace incarnate, as if I'd teach her to fight, but she's going to learn how to defend herself. I will not have all the men in Greece after I'd…"

"Ares, I think she gets it," Xena cut in. Athena nodded and produced the golden goblet and offered it to Xena. "Wait. Dite is Hercules still being himself?"

"Yea, sorry babe," the goddess replied.

"Well than everybody minus Hercules," Xena said collecting her daughter off the floor. "Do you think Hades could bring Lyceus and Solan?" At this a red flash and Hades stood there.

"They're waiting for you. So are Gabrielle and Joxer who both agreed to their Patron God, Goddess' request, Hercules is standing in the throne room. You want to make sure he can't go anywhere Ares?" Ares snapped his fingers. The group traveled to Olympus and Xena was quickly led from Ares side, still with Eve in her arms. Gabrielle quickly removed the child and flashed her friend into a wedding gown described to her by Joxer.

"So you got to be a Goddess first huh?" Xena taunted.

"Well you know, I gotta do something first," Gabrielle answered. The time soon came for them to and Xena was led into the Hall of the Gods where the twelve major Gods and Goddesses would me. At the end waiting with Aphrodite and Hades, stood her God of War, and if for one moment she thought she was going to faint, she focused on him and came to stand gracefully at his side. Not as his Warrior Queen, but as his equal.

"So we are here for the wedding of Ares and Xena. I'm not going into my usual spiel of how love conquers all, because everyone knows just what these two mean to one another and that through love both became equals, not conquered. So Ares, God of War, Prince of Olympus, do you take Xena, Warrior Princess and future Goddess to be your wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, from this day forth and for forever?"

"I do."

"And Xena, Warrior Princess, future Goddess, do you take Ares, God of War, Prince of Olympus as your husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, from this day forth and for forever?"

"I do."

"Now is there anyone that has some ridiculous reason why these two can't be joined speak now or forever hold your peace and I do mean forever." The Love Goddess glanced. "Perfect, well without further ado I pronounce you husband and wife, God and Goddess to be. You can kiss the bride." And so he did. "I call upon the Fates, to bind these souls together, for all eternity." A flash of light went through the room. "It is done, to betray your spouse is to betray yourself."

"Well it wasn't quite like the first time around," Ares whispered to her.

"I'd liked this one better." Athena came over to them.

"Xena, Warrior Princess, by taking the nectar of the Gods you agree to honor your place among us to the best of your abilities."

"I do." She took the goblet and drank forcing the sweet liquid down her throat. The change was almost instantaneous. Her wedding gown morphed into a black dress with a leather belt, her chakram hung at her hip, and her body was rejuvenated.

"Decreed by the Fates, I Athena, Current Ruler of the Olympian Counsel to hereby grant you the realm of War, with Honor, Victory, Mercy, and Strategy. You shall become the balance in an unbalanced field." At first Ares thought she was going to kill him, but than she smiled and kissed him.

"Balance huh? Guess that means I get to oppose you."

"You oppose me now, why should eternity be different?" Ares laughed. "But it will be more fun." At this she smiled.

"There is one last thing. Ares, God of War, you have chosen to wed this woman. Do you accept your position as father, as caretaker and protector of her child Eve?" Athena asked.

"I do."

"As by our laws Eve the daughter of Xena the Warrior Princess and Goddess of War is now also the daughter of Ares, God of War, Prince of Olympus. Eve shall be initiated into Olympus with a Golden Apple when she is older at which time she shall become the Messenger of Peace, for now Eve. To be protected as one of our own, from this day forth."

The cheers of here, here where chorused throughout the room and the newly formed family were welcomed into Olympus with open arms. Gabrielle and Joxer couldn't help but watch as Xena let Ares hold Eve for almost the entire celebration. Some of the other Gods were also surprised, Aphrodite finally took the baby off their hands and said she'd and Gabrielle would watch her for the night. The two need to baby proof the Halls of War and The Fortress, among other things. With that the new Goddess of War and Millennia old God of War kissed their daughter goodnight, and returned to the Fortress to a sealed Hercules. With a wave of her hand Hercules was sent to her mother's tavern with a message, which simply explained what had happened and told her mother to keep Hercules out of trouble. With that taken care of the two immortals returned to the bedchamber.

"So, War God, now that you're mine…"

"Yours?"

"Hm. Yes I claimed you."

"How about the other way around? You've always been mine."

"Let's call it even shall we?" He kissed her lightly. "So eternity huh? What shall we do first?"

"I have a few ideas."

"Only a few?"

"Well one really good one."

"And what would that be?"

"Remember that kiss in the forest?" She nodded. "I thought we could pick up from our last almost wedding?" She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him with more passion than she ever thought possible. Her love poured from the kisses and his return did the same. "I told you I got all my good ideas from you."

"Shut up." After that there were no more thoughts. There was just them, as it had been and as it always would be. The two finally belonged to each other, the past stayed where it belonged and they made a new future, shaping their own destiny together, just as they'd always meant to be.


End file.
